Staff Writer
After a brief lull on Sunday, heavy rains and winds moved into the area on Sunday evening and into the night.
Courtney Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that Nevada County rain totals varied but that the service’s observers in Grass Valley reported between one to two inches of rainfall in the 24-hour period beginning Sunday at 1 p.m.
Further up the hill, east of Scotts Flat Reservoir, totals fell between two and three inches.
“Sunday’s storm didn’t start until a little later,” Carpenter said. “So those are pretty good totals.”
Nevada County Airport reported wind gusts at 36 miles per hour, with winds reaching between 35 to 45 miles per hour depending on location.
The second and final round of the recent storm was expected to move in overnight Monday into today, with Carpenter anticipating another one and a half to three inches of rain, again depending on location.
“Looks like another weak system Wednesday will bring in light amounts (of rain), then we have another for late Friday into the weekend that will bring another two to four inches,” Carpenter said. “For the foreseeable future, it still looks wet.”
Carpenter warned those driving during night time hours to be extremely careful as any flooding or gathered water can be difficult to see after dark.
PG&E’s website reported a number of outages in western Nevada County on Monday afternoon, each affecting one to 49 customers per outage.
Meanwhile, Nevada County Office of Emergency Services is encouraging county residents to be prepared for the additional rain the area will soon receive. The office reminded residents to check gutters and drains for debris, place sandbags where needed, and double check that wiper blades on vehicles are in good condition.
County officials said that if you see any flooded roads, downed trees, spills, or flashing lights at a lift station, please report it immediately to www.nevadacountyca.gov/1581/Service-Requests.
Due to heavy and continuing rains, sandbags are still being made available to residents in several different locations, though supplies, the county said, are running low. To find your most local sandbag location please visit ReadyNevadaCounty.org/Sandbags. The public is reminded to take their own shovel to sandbag stations.
Further south in Sacramento and El Dorado counties, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued an emergency declaration, the result of the major storms impacting the region.
“This important step will allow the Department of Homeland Security to begin providing assistance to safeguard lives, public health, and property,” said U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley.
Kiley’s district includes Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, Alpine, Mono, Inyo, and parts of Yuba, El Dorado, and Sacramento counties.
“I continue to remain in contact with FEMA, am monitoring the situation closely, and my office will continue to assist impacted residents,” Kiley said.